Press.



Patented Don. 23, |902. R. T. ALLEN.

PRESS.

(Application kd Apr. 1, 1.902J

(lo Model.)

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TTED i STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ROBERT T. ALLEN, OF FERNANDO, CALIFORNIA.

PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,359, dated December 23, 19402. Application iled April 1. 1902. SerialNo. 100,990. (No model.)

To all 107mm, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT T. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fernando, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Presses, of which the following is a specification.

My in ven tion has relation more particularly to presses used to express oil from the olive, but may be used as well where substances other than the olive are to be operated on; but to avoid unnecessary recitals I will limit the description of its operation to olives, it being understood that it may be used to express other substances as well.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and reliable press and one which is particularly adapted to express oil from the olives, and I accomplish this object by means of the device herein described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved olive-press, parts of the same being broken away. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged side and end views, respectively, of the togglelinksandshaftingcarryingthe sheaves. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the chain-clutch. Fig. 5 is a central section of a fragment of the upper head-block, showing the lower end of the stem and the means of detachably connecting the same to the upper head-block.

In the drawings, A is the top plate of the press, secured to the bottom or bed piece E by upright corner-bolts Gr. Mounted on these corner-bolts and having a sliding movement thereon are theupper and lower head-blocks B and C, respectively. Interposed between the blocks and movably connecting the same together are the toggle-links H. These links (eight in number) are pivoted at one end to the head-blocks, the other ends being journaled on two horizontal shafts I, on which are mounted four chain carrying pulleys or sheaves .I--two pulleys on each shaft. To the shaft I one end of the chain K is attached, as at K', the chain running thence under and around the companion pulley opposite thereto on the other shaft, thence back to and over the pulley, to which the lever is attached, and engages with the link-clutch L, secured to and under the power-levers M, which is rigidly secured to the chain-pulley. On these powerlevers I provide a movable Weight N, adapted to be moved from or toward the pivoted point of the lever, and thereby increase or decrease the strain ou the connecting-chain. As the strain is thrown onto these chains by means `of these power-levers, the tendency is to bring the toggle-links into a vertical position and depress the lower head-block C, the upper headblock being stationary, (except on the rotation of the hand-wheel O, as hereinafter explained.) This will press the lower head-block down and compress the ground-olive pulp in the press D with great power. I have shown the burlap-casing P, in which the ground olives to be pressed are packed and in this condition placed in the press in the conventional manner of doing this work, viz: in a succession of layers interposed between slatted trays Q. The oil of the olive being pressed from the pulp or cheese runs down to and passes out at the aperture D in the press-casing, which will be carried out and discharged into any convenient receptacle by the spout R. I have provided observation-openings D" in the casing, through which the condition of the cheese may be seen from the outside. These openings are closed by glass covers. I find that the operation of expressing the oil can be greatly expedited and better results obtained by heating the cheese or pulp during the operation, and I have therefore connected the press with live steam from an appropriate steam-supply (not shown) by means of the pipe F, through which the steam will diffuse itself through the mass and properly heat it for being operated on. By the use of these power-levers I maintain a uniform pressure on the cheese, whereas heretofore when a quantity of oil had been expressed from the cheese and the lower headblock C had moved down in consequence the pressure thereon became less, being relieved as the bulk of the cheese contracted; but by my improvement a continued uniform pressure is maintained thereon, as the weighted levers will move down and maintain this uniform pressure. Of course there is a limited range of movement on the lower head-block caused by these levers, as the projecting ends of the levers will fall a long distance to move the lower head-block but a short distance, and means had to be provided to overcome this limited range of movement of the lower ICO head-block that it might follow the pulp down, maintaining thereon all the time a uniform pressure of great Volume, to accomplish which I have provided means to elevate the arms and at the same time have the headblock at its farthest downward movement, as follows: The chain passes over the pulleys and passes into the chain-clutch L, disposed below the levers adjacent to the pivoted point of the levers. As the free ends of the lever are thrown up, the chain-clutch can be passed up into anotherl link in the chain, and thereby elevate the free ends of the levers. This will keep the togglelinks in the position which they were in before the free ends of the levers were thrown up, and as these links continue to approach a Vertical position as the ends of the levers fall it is only a matter of time when they will assume a vertical position at which the head-block would cease to move downwardly. Therefore to prevent the head-block from rising up and at the same time to open out the toggle-links and to provide therefor I have caused to be jour- Vnaled in the upper side of the upper headblock the threaded stem P, on the top end of which the hand-wheel O is rigidly mount-ed. This threaded stem passes through a threaded opening in the top plate A and engages inthreadedcontacttherewith. Bythe proper rotation of the hand-Wheel the upper headblock B may be moved downwardly. This will operate to spread the pulleys on which the chains are secured. This in turn will cause the free end of the power-levers to be elevated to a proper elevation, and thereby provide for the contraction in bulk of the pulp in the press, whereby a uniform pressure may be maintained at all times, notwithstanding the contraction in bulk of the pulp.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a press of the character described, power-levers pivoted as shown, chain-pulleys on the pivoted ends of said levers, the said pulleys being journaled on horizontal shafts; toggle-links, pivoted at one end on said shaft and at the other ends on the upper and lower head-block of the press; chains passing over said pulleys, whereby the dropping of the free ends of the lever will cause the lower head-block to move downward.

2. A press adapted to express the oil from olives, comprising a press-casing to receive the substance to be operated on; upper and lower head-blocks adapted to reciprocate Vertically therein; toggle -links between said head-blocks, the lower links being pivoted at their lower ends to the lower head-block and their upper ends pivoted on a horizontal shaft; toggle-links above said shaft the lower ends of said links being pivoted on said shaft, the upper ends of the links being pivoted on an upper head-block, a hand-wheel revolubly mounted in threaded bearings in the top plate and rotatively secured in bearings in the upper head-block.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th day of March, 1902.

ROBERT T. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. HAZARD, G. E. HARPHAM. 

